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the visitors

  •  
    You can watch the World Premiere of the Ben Hamilton-produced film-clip for “Better Now”, the lead track from the forthcoming album  “Trama Magnet” from Sydney supergroup Van Ruin here at 0900 (AEST) on Friday.


    Following on from last year’s debut EP, “Jails, Death & Institutions”(Crankinhaus Records), Van Ruin has rapidly upped the ante with their first album, ‘Trauma Magnet” ahead of their first European tour in September 2025. “Trauma Magnet” unveils a cast of characters whose fallible traits play out against a backdrop of high-energy rock and roll and hook-laden songs.

    The members of Van Ruin's history in Australian rock is pretty vast - they've been a part of crucial acts like the New Christs, Lime Spiders, Deniz Tek Group, The Visitors, ME262, Decline of the Reptilesand Chris Massuak’s Dog Soldier,as well as East Coast Low, Hell Crab City, Chickenstones, Loose Pills, The Panadollsand Aberration. 

    Van Ruin are Phil Van Rooyen - Vocals/Guitar, Alan Creed - Guitar/Vocals/Keyboards, Andy Newman - Bass/Keyboards and Stuart Wilson- Drums/Vocals

    “Trama Magnet” is being released on vinyl, CD and streaming and you can pre-order on Bandcamp or the label site, or pre-save.

  •  ron keeley adelaide


    The first thing you hear when the stylus drops on Radio Birdman’s “What Gives?”, “Aloha Steve & Danno”, ”Descent Into The Maelstrom”, “Do The Moving Change” or The Visitors’ “Hell Yes” are the drums.

    Solid, to the point, perfectly simple, lots of swing and dead on the money, That drummer’s name is Ron Keeley, who also played with Radio Birdman precursor The Rats (with Warwick Gilbert and Rob Younger), The Other Side (with Rob Younger) , The Hitmen (with Chris Masuak and Warwick Gilbert) and Comrades of War. 

    I wanted to hear Ron’s story first-hand and have a beer or three with him in his adopted home of Woking, Surrey,l just outside of London. It's only a short, 17,000-mile trip from Sydney, Australia. We met in The Crown, a wonderful old-style “wet pub” (no food, no gambling, no TV - just drink, so what’s not to like?) in July 2023.

    Read on at your own peril.

  • me 262Most serious musicians would have an aneurysm if someone wanted to release recordings from their callow youth. They’ll tell you they’ve been hidden in a sock drawer for 40 years for good reason, and that demo recordings are just that. 

    Of course, people with OCD, completists and the truly curious and/or obsessed - and any or all of these descriptors could apply to most of us - vehemently disagree. This release from the amazing Buttercup Records label in Melbourne satisfies our shared jones. 

  • rb drumheadFoundation Radio Birdman drummer Ron Keeley is offering a rare piece of memorabilia for sale on the UK eBay site, taken from his own collection.

    This item is a 24 inch (61cm) diameter painted bass drumhead from his white Rodgers kit. It was hand-painted by the band’s long-serving bass player and their artist, Warwick Gilbert. It saw action from 1976-78. It was re-used by Ron after Birdman broke up and he joined The Visitors, at that point being covered by a cardboard fascia with that band’s logo.

    “It was on the kit for ALL the Radio Birdman gigs we played during that time, including all those at the Funhouse, the famous live session at 2JJ Studios, both of the legendary 1977 Paddington Town Hall gigs and many others,” Ron said.

    “Condition is pretty good considering its age and the number of ‘skirmishes’ it was involved in…although it’s a bit battle-scarred (and stained in places with splashes of beer and other unidentified liquids.)”

    The item comes with a personally signed Certificate of Authenticity stating that the drum face is a contemporaneous item from Ron’s personal collection, and describing its provenance.

  • the undermines albumIt’s taken me a little while to get to this one, and I wish I’d got here sooner.

    There’s 12 tracks, nine by guitarist Dylan Webster, three by other guitarist Jason Sharples. With your bass by Dave Lundquest, drums by Serge Ou (no, really, that’s what it says here) and vocals by Michael Preiss… we’re looking at a band capable, if we read the back of the CD right, of constructing and delivering the twin guitar assault.

    Do they?

    My oath they do.

Gig Ads

Up close and personal
Datura4 on the Gold Coast
Click to buy

The Living Eye


Right eye
I-94 Bar and Soundpressing present
Searching for Charlie Owen
(Charlie Owen solo - music and spoken word)
+ White Knuckle Fever
Smiths Alternative, Canberra
- Aug 1
Tickets
+ Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes
+ Sam Shinazzi (solo)
Petersham Bowling Club, NSW
-  Aug 2
Tickets
+ The Howling Rats
Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
- Aug 3
Tickets

Hugo Race and Michaelangelo Russo
100 Years Tour
JUL
31  – Camelot Lounge, Sydney
AUG
1  – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
2 – Qirkz in the Hunter, Abermain, NSW
3 – Franks Wild Years, Thirroul, NSW
8 – Tanswell’s, Beechworth, VIC
23 – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne
SEP
12 – Odessa, Creswick, VIC
Tickets

The Tommys
+ Kreep 500
Lulie Tavern, Abbotsford, VIC
- Aug 3

Sick Fizz
(album launch)
+ The Owen Guns
+ The Jane Does
The Duke, Enmore, NSW
- Aug 2 
(Free)

The New Christs
UK and Europe Tour
AUG
13 - Night ´n Day, Manchester UK
​14 - Stereo, Glasgow UK
15 - Oslo, London UK    
16 - Edonè, Bergamo IT
17 - Flog-On Plen Air , Firenze IT
19 - TBA Bologna IT
21 - Shake Club, La Spezia IT
22 - Molotov, Marseille FR
23 - Secret Place, Montpellier FR
24 - Le Moulin du Rousseau, Perigueux FR
28 - Relache, Bordeaux FR
29 - Festivalle Tobalina, Quintana Martin Galinde ES
30 - 16 Toneladas, Valencia ES
31 - Stereo, Alicante ES
SEP
2 - Sala Upload, Barcelona ES
4 - Sala El Sol, Madrid ES
5 - Sala Milwaukee, El Puerto de Santa Maria ES
6 - Hogaza Rock, Alfacar ES

East Coast Low
Badlanding Launches
AUG
17 – Royal Oak, Tighes Hill, NSW
23 – In-store @ Hiss and Crackle, Wallsend, NSW
(2pm, free)
23 - Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
+ The Strike-Outs + The Dark Clouds
24 – MoshPit, St Peters, NSW
+ The Dark Clouds + The Strike-Outs

Van Ruin
French Tour 

SEP

5 - La Petite Rade, Le Havre

6 - La Trinquette, Rennes       

11 - Le Ravelin, Toulouse       

12 – TBC, Perpignan

13 - La Cigale dans la fourmilière, Nègrepelisse

18 - Shapers Club House, Marennes

20 - Irish Pub, Frontignan

26 – L’Armony, Paris

27 - La Griffe, Lille      

“Ramones Appreciation Night”
The Dark Clouds
+ The Strike Outs
+ Arturos
MoshPit Bar, St Peters, NSW
- Sep 12

Cherie Currie Australian Tour
with Hot Machine
SEP
5 -  Rosemount, Perth
6 - Crown and Anchor, Adelaide
11 - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
12 – Sydney Crowbar
13 – Brisbane Crowbar
Tickets

 Dead Kennedys
Australia and NZ
SEP
16 - Auckland, Powerstation
17 - Wellington, Meow Nui
19 – Melbourne, Northcote Theatre
20 - Brisbane, Tivoli
24 - Perth, Astor Theatre
26 - Adelaide, The Gov
27 - Sydney, Metro Theatre
Tickets

Soundpressing presents
Datura4 
+ The Spivs
Iron & Resin Garage, Currumbin, QLD
- Oct 24
Tickets

The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound Tour
Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes
OCT
3 - Factory Theatre, Marrickville, Sydney
Tickets
4 - Waves, Wollongong, NSW
Tickets
5 - The Street Theatre, Canberra
Tickets
10 - The Corner Hoyel, Richmond, Vic
Tickets
11 - Bundy Hall, Bundalaguah VIC
Tickets
24 - Freo Social, Fremantle WA
Tickets
25 - The River Hotel, Margaret River WA
Tickets
31 - Brisbane Crowbar QLD
Tickets
NOV
1 - The Imperial, Eumundi QLD
Tickets
2 - Mo's Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast QLD
Tickets
7 - Byron Bay Theatre NSW
Tickets
8 - Bellingen Memorial Hall NSW
Tickets
13 - King Street Bandroom, Newcastle
Tickets
14 - Avoca Beach Theatre NSW
Tickets
15 - The Lounge, Chatswood NSW
Tickets
16 - Dangar Island Bowlo NSW (matinee)
Tickets
21 - The Gov, Adelaide SA
Tickets
28 - Royal Oak, Launceston TAS
Tickets
29 - The Pier, Ulverstone TAS
Tickets
30 - Longley International Hotel, Longley TAS
Tickets

The Jesus Lizard
Australian Tour
OCT
15 - The Croxton, Melbourne, VIC
17 - Liberty Hall (ex Max Watts), Sydney, NSW
19 -  Crow Bar, Brisbane, QLD

4ZZZ presents
“ZED 50”
Ther Saints ’73-‘78
+ Regurgitator
+ Tropical Fuck Storm
+ Full Flower Moon Band
+ Big Noter + Butterfingers
+ Screamfeeder
+ Nice Biscuit + Party Dozen
+ Frangipanis + Dancingwater
+ Platonic Sex + Velociraptor
Roma St Parklands, Brisbane
- Oct 25

“4ZZZ Joint Effort 50”
Dave Warner’s From The Suburbs
+ X
+ The Survivors
+ XERO
+ The Black Assassins
+ Pineapples From The Dawn of Time
Hamilton Hotel, QLD
- Nov 8

Asteroid B612
Australian Tour
NOV
6 – La La La´s, Wollongong NSW
7 – Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
8 – Avalon Beach RSL Club, NSW
14 - The John Curtin Hotel, Carlton VIC

 

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2223 Australia

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Latest Comments

Jacques Doff posted a comment in John Cale remains very much in the present
He looks like Charlie Watts
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New Cale album "Mixology" out August 8
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Thx Robert, your posters are on their way
This was a great read and really made me feel the vibes that went through on that night

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